Around the big V-Day one of our favorite family traditions is to channel our inner Italian for a make your own heart shaped pizza dinner.
For the record, I don’t believe there is Italian blood anywhere on either sides of the family tree. Native American, Scottish and Irish, yes. However, my pediatrician did once allude that the Mongolian Spot on Maggie’s arm may be due to the fact that someone on the family tree “messed” around… I’m pretty sure it wasn’t with an Italian… too bad.
I digress…
We start by getting things cooking with this pizza dough and our very own sauce
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cloves of pressed garlic
1 can of Tomato Sauce
2 cans Tomato Paste
1/2 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
4 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1/4 cup Pineapple Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in pot, sauté garlic until soft, add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for a couple of hours.
Cut up our favorite veggies, meats (all natural from our butcher) and fresh (very important) mozzarella cheese. Someday I will make my own mozzarella, one of the many items on my domestic bucket list.
We shape the dough into hearts and each create our own little masterpiece of love…
drizzle with olive oil, bake and enjoy!
The Lockards heart pizza and we think you will too!
If I were to sum up Friday night’s CASA event in three words and one sentence it would be…
Ahhh mAAAA zing!
I’m an etiquette consultant not the grammar police, so I’m going to take some creative liberty on that one.
As I promised, here are a few details from the night.
First up, my tear-free speech.
The night became much busier than I expected, so there are fewer pictures that I anticipated. It felt a little like my wedding reception, only I managed to eat–a little of everything. Lucky for me, and everyone else, I didn’t bust a seam. A busted seam, along with hanging thread is always possible when you are your own seamstress. To be on the safe side, I packed light, but a lady is always prepared.
A quick shot of the room as the dealers were getting ready.
My darling stud of an honorary co-host for the evening.
Yes, it’s true. After the party we went back to his place…
My very dear friend, CASA supporter, and my number one hanging thread watcher Liesel!
For those who asked. Here are a few close-ups of the dress. I’m so sorry there aren’t more. I meant to have a few taken but the evening got away from me.
The shoulder embellishments are from frayed edge scraps. I like how the frayed and raw edge made the flower-inspired design feel a little, well, edgy. The jewels are from one of my favorite necklaces that a darling daughter got her hands on and burst into pieces.Oh chunky, non-pearl necklace how I’ve missed you…To spice up the waist, I added some more handwork of tucking and folding (not an official sewing term) scrap fabric that went all of the way around the dress. Pictures of the dress’s ”thorn in my designer side” skirt are MIA (sorry). I’m hoping you will be able to picture it if I say it was a simple A-line to the knee. I promise to be better next time. Based on the amount of money I’ve spent on fabric lately… there will be a next time.
There you have it ladies and gentleman, an amazing night for one important cause!
Please forgive the lack of posts this week as I’ve been busy preparing for Friday night’s CASA Event. And, by preparing I mean writing my speech and designing /sewing a dress for the evening.
Causing my nearest and dearest to ask …
You’re going to make what?
In all of your free time?!
Seriously?
Yes it is true! Blame it on type A or the Grammy’s Red Carpet… whatever it was I started sketching, which lead me to the fabric store (four times) and then six hours of designing, cutting, sewing, measuring, seam ripping, sewing, seam ripping, cutting and sewing! Maybe not in that exact order, but close (wink).
One might assume, and for good reason, that the “Manners Lady” (as I’m often called) would be good at following directions. Unfortunately, where cooking and sewing are concerned, I am challenged when it comes to following directions in the form of a recipe or pattern. Borderline rebellious in fact!
In this case my rebellious nature and determination to go beyond the pattern resulted in a bodice that I had to cut myself out of, two rounds of skirt fails, a zipper fiasco, and seam ripper that has officially gone on strike!
In the end, I’m very pleased with the dress and can’t wait for a fabulous evening with my co-chair supporting an amazing cause! Join me on Monday for all of the details from the evening… and the dress!
I don’t know about you, but I’m craving the lazy days of summer. The gray and gloomy days of winter are weighing on my disposition and my caboose!
In our effort to add a little sunshine to a very gray winter, last Friday’s Family Friday we had an indoor picnic complete with a red checkered table cloth, faux (back to the caboose) fried Finger Lickin’ Chicken and pesky little ants.
Growing up, picnics with my grandmother always included a big bucket of KFC chicken. Oh how I loved their BBQ chicken. However, since my issue with commercially prepared chicken (more about how they are raised, than prepared) I set out to create my own version of the finger lickin’ (sans the finger lickin’) chicken! I must admit it was GOOD!
tablespoons vegetable oil (I use Olive Oil instead)
all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
12 pieces of free range chicken drums and thighs
One thing I love about breaded chicken is the breading. However, I usually end-up removing the skin it to save a calorie or two. To have the best of both worlds we stripped the chicken down to its birthday suit…
and following the recipe’s directions applied the breading straight to the meat.
Baked for 15 minutes on each side in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees) and then transferred the little legs and thighs to hot slow cooker filled with two bottles of all natural BBQ sauce and let them cook on low for two hours.
20 minutes before dinner we put chicken back in the oven for 15 minutes on 350 degrees… it makes it a wee bit easier to handle. Since it was a picnic we ate it with our fingers. As you can see Maggie had her napkin waiting in the wings.
We served the chicken alongside an Asian slaw and baked sweet potato fries–we made our own fry cones out of cardstock that Maggie decorated with her favorite color. Dark purple.
When it was all over we used warm lemon towels to clean our hands.
Ahead of time, I soaked wash clothes in lemon water, wrung them out, rolled them up, put them on a plate that could go straight from a warm oven to the table…
and warmed in the oven (on warm) for 5 minutes. This is one of my favorite things to do for family and guests. Who doesn’t love a warm towel after dinner? However, nobody loves a burning hot towel. Ever. Be very careful of the temperature before handing them out.
Yesterday morning I was busy preparing for an early morning presentation for 35 government employees.
Mid-type
Elle: Mom we are having a fiesta today. I think. I am supposed to bring orange juice.
still typing
Me: Today?
Elle: I’m pretty sure. Is it Wednesday? Yes, I think Wednesday.
stopped typing, but still distracted.
Me: Okay. I’ll pick up some juice and bring it to school.
Fast forward five hours. After coming home from the program I put on my comfy clothes–by comfy I mean pjs–to settle in for a couple of hours of catch-up and correspondence.
GACK! Orange Juice!
I threw on my program attire…dress shirt, pencil skirt, sweater, tights, and heels and ran out the door to the store. I was hobbling down the hall of Elle’s school with two arms full of orange juice cartons when I saw Elle’s teacher’s assistant Miss A.
Me: Did I miss it?
Miss A: Um yeeeaaaah. It was after recess. Let me get Elle so she knows you came.
Heart sinking and arms aching from the weight of the bags of O.J.
Elle: Hi, Mom.
Me: Honey, I am so sorry!
With a toothless smile and the most gracious tone
Elle: It’s okay! Looks like we will have a lot of orange juice at home for awhile?!
Moral of the story. When life serves you a lot of orange juice in the middle of winter…
You turn up the heat and make orange juice popsicles!
This is a fantastic question I received via the wonders of Twitter last week…
Let’s be honest… we’ve all wondered this at one time or another. I’ll be the first to admit, I have felt the guilt of the tardy thank-you.
I believe there are a few home remedies for getting over the guilt and moving on to gracious gratitude.
1. Get out of the receivers head. Chances are the receiver of your thank-you is simply happy to find the Thank-You in their mailbox. If they are standing at their mailbox counting the days, correcting your penmanship or grammar… that’s their issue, not yours.
2. Write from the heart and write them today! Stop telling yourself that you have to write them and start telling yourself you look forward to writing them. After all, we can count it a blessing to be able to communicate our gratitude for the gift or act of kindness. Gratitude should never be a nuisance.
3. Have all of the supplies handy. This is how we roll! I love this little trunk and it makes me happy to have all of the tools at hand!
4. Get creative! Do I think it’s important to send handwritten letters? Yes. However, it’s perfectly fine to mix it up. I love, love, love how my web friend Meredith (aka Hoo-dee-Hoo) and her producer husband engaged their sons in the act of saying thanks. Check out her creative approach here…
5. Finally, and in the words of my favorite athletic apparel company! Just Do it!
If you’ve been following this blog you know that when I’m not chasing after two little darlings, caring for one big darling, or presenting programs around gracious living… I’m dreaming about food.
This is my most recent dream that haunted me until I put it on the table.
This is what you will need!
2 Pounds Short Ribs ( We used Natural Beef from Knee Deep Cattle Ranch from our butcher)
1/2 cup reduced sodium Soy Sauce
1 Cup low-sugar Blackberry Preserves
1 Orange (juice only)
1/2 Red Pepper Chopped(1/2 only because I promised Elle the other half as an afternoon snack, feel free to put the other 1/2 in)
1 Onion Chopped
1 TBS Minced Fresh Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic
1 can tomato paste
Put the ribs in the slow cooker
In a large liquid measuring dish combine the sauce ingredients and stir.
Pour over short ribs and cook on High for 6 to 8 hours.
30 minutes before you plan to eat, place the ribs on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered and 5 minutes uncovered.
While the ribs are baking in the oven, skim the fat off of the top of the sauce remaining in the slow cooker. Transfer the sauce to a sauce pan, add 1/2 cup of blackberry preserves to thicken the sauce, and stir on medium heat until it begins to boil. Removed the sauce from the heat.
We drizzled the sauce over the short ribs and served them alongside cauliflower whipped with skim milk, parmesan cheese and a dash of pepper, and spinach salad
Although the ribs received a score of 250 out of 250 from our food critique Elle, she also gave the whipped cauliflower a 20 out of 1 million.
Determined to bring up my mealtime score, the next night I went back into the kitchen and tried the cauliflower gratin style…
In a sauce pan heat two Tablespoons of olive oil.
Sauté two cloves of pressed garlic.
When the garlic starts to brown add one cup of Parmesan cheese, a quarter of a cup of whipped cream cheese and one cup of skim milk. Whisk until thick. Add extra parmesan if necessary.
In a baking dish layer the bottom or a baking dish with sliced raw cauliflower. Pour half of the cheese mixture over the cauliflower and spread it over the entire pan. Repeat layering the cauliflower and spreading the cheese. Top with 1/2 parmesan and two sliced green onions. Cover with foil and bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncovered and bake until golden brown.
This cauliflower received much higher marks… from all of us.
Wendy Gabriel from My Green Side has bestowed upon me the honor of TheHonest Scrap Award.Like she mentioned in herpost, I don’t usually do these. In fact, I’ve never done one. However, because I deeply respect Wendy I’m giving it a shot. You may know Wendy from ManneroftheMonth.com’sJanuary Issue where she shared her Green Living tips. Wendy is truly one gracious lady!
To accept this honor, I have to tell you 10 honest things about myself that you wouldn’t know from reading my blog or ManneroftheMonth.com and I have to tag 7 other bloggers to participate. I am honored that Wendy selected me and I’m happy to participate.
Since honesty is the most gracious policy, a few of these might just surprise you. Here we go…
1. I’m the oldest of four children. I love my two sisters and brother with all of my heart and I’m pretty smitten with their families too!
2. I’m a deeply spiritual person and my faith is what fuels my love affair with gracious living. I tear up nearly every Sunday during worship and thank my God for the salvation that he so freely gives. I’m truly humbled by His grace. Humbled.
3. I haven’t always been the most mannerly. In middle school I was put on probation as Student Body President for writing crude statements in a few yearbooks. I’m still embarrassed to this day. Thus clinging to the Grace thing…
4. I’ve been drinking the same Starbucks beverage give or take a shot –Americano with a few pieces of ice — for fifteen years. I’m totally aware that I need it to get me through my morning, and I’m okay with it.
5. I was diagnosed with attention deficit when I was a senior in High School. The upside I can keep 100 balls in the air at once, the downside sometimes the juggle isn’t pretty.
6. I was raised by the philosophy that there isn’t such a thing as “I Can’t!” My mother is an inspiring and hardworking woman who taught me by example that you can do anything you put your mind to.
7. I have a phobia of hair off the body, old carpet, stuffed animals (back to the carpet) and most commercially cooked chicken. I didn’t say this list was going to make sense.
8. I’m not an animal person (deep down I wish I was) due to a few childhood experiences and my issue with hair see: #6 phobias.
9. I love fashion but I don’t like to spend money on it. Which is why the wardrobe in my mind doesn’t match the wardrobe in my closet.
10. I always wanted to be a wife and mom. Nothing more, nothing less. A career woman was not my thing. God had different plans for me.
Well there you have it. A few bits about me! Thanks again Wendy for the bloggy honor! Keep the conversations coming. What’s something I may not know about you? Please leave a comment below. Loving comments would be my number 11, if they award asked for 11… they make my day!
